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A child's hands clutch a tablet with a digital reading tool open.
ELAREnglish Language ArtsReading

Digital Reading Tools for K-5 Readers

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Teach reading in grades K-5? You may be looking for digital apps and resources to support your young readers. Research emphasizes how important it is to encourage reading with print books. That aside, here are some digital tools you might find helpful in supporting K-5 students’ development of key literacy skills. Those skills include phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.

Reviewing the Research

Did you see the new meta-analysis’ conclusions? This latest aggregation appeared in December 2023. The study asked a fundamental question: Do New Forms of Reading Pay Off? It focuses on leisure digital reading and text comprehension at various grade levels. As many veteran readers know, leisure reading is often the gateway to more complex texts. Children aren’t reading for pleasure in enough quantity. Digital texts read for leisure activities are not as tough as print texts, and leisure reading takes a hit as students focus on digital.

The results reflect that primary and middle school readers understand less when engaged in leisure digital reading. Their conclusion boils down to the following point:

In sum, leisure digital reading does not seem to pay off in terms of reading comprehension, at least, as much as traditional print reading does.

Source: Do New Forms of Reading Pay Off? A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Leisure Digital Reading Habits and Text Comprehension

This is problematic for young readers, who need to comprehend texts they read early on. The more they understand texts as youngsters, the more likely they are to read more complex texts.

The more digital reading students do, the harder it gets for them to “grok” print texts. Intended for “quick and brief consumption,” this makes digital content poor quality and, perhaps, of “low linguistic quality.”

Text with low linguistic qualities includes text that:

  • Does not follow standard grammar, vocabulary, and/or syntax rules
  • Has an informal, conversational style closer to spoken language
  • Might be fragmented, decontextualized, or inaccurate
  • Includes short-length texts and fast-paced content
  • Lacks clarity and has ambiguous or imprecise use of words and phrases

Unfortunately, digital content is often likely to be of lower linguistic quality. With this in mind, how can digital tools be useful in the classroom when it comes to reading instruction for K-5 students?

The Added Value of Digital Reading Tools

Given the research, what’s the added value of digital reading tools? Digital tools are helpful to young readers when they provide the following features:

  • Audio narration
  • Text highlighting
  • Embedded support for readers needing increased accessibility
  • Fun, interactive elements

Texts with distracting “bells and whistles” hinder comprehension. Plus, if young readers lack foundational skills, it’s better to rely on print texts; digital tools may not be the best idea.

A list of tech-powered reading with digital apps
View full-size | Get a copy in Canva

Integrating Digital Reading Tools

Ok, now that you have had a chance to review the research for young readers, let’s take a look at a few ed tech apps and tools. Some are free while others are paid, so be aware of that before adopting their use in the classroom. The key is to integrate these digital reading tools into your reading block. You can use them in all sorts of ways, such as:

  • whole-class instruction
  • small-group rotations
  • station rotations
  • partner work
  • independent practice
  • home connections
  1. Starfall Learn to Read (starfall.com). This app is perfect for beginning readers in K-2. It uses a systematic phonics approach with fun songs, animations, and interactive activities. Kids love the playful characters and colorful visuals.
  2. Epic! (getepic.com). Epic! is a huge digital library tailored for elementary students. It includes thousands of high-interest fiction and nonfiction books. Epic! also personalizes recommendations based on each child’s reading level and interests. Students can read or listen to books and take quizzes to test comprehension.
  3. Reading Eggs (readingeggs.com). Designed for ages 2-13, it is a comprehensive digital reading program. that feels more like a game than a lesson. As students work their way through the lessons, they earn rewards.
  4. Lexia Core5 (lexialearning.com). Lexia Core5 includes a research-proven K-5 digital reading program with personalized learning paths. Each student moves along the path based on their skill level. The engaging activities target phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Real-time data helps teachers provide just-in-time instruction.
  5. Flocabulary (flocabulary.com). Flocabulary relies on music to teach reading skills. It includes education-friendly hip-hop songs and videos. These teach vocabulary, figurative language, story elements, and more. Interactive features let students read and write their own rhymes
  6. Flip (flip.com). Flip (formerly, Flipgrid) is a free video discussion platform. Some rely on it for fluency practice. Students can record themselves reading aloud. They can then listen back and share with the class as a way to build oral reading skills and confidence.
  7. Storyline Online (storylineonline.net). This free website streams videos of celebrated actors reading popular children’s books aloud. Activity guides are available for each book, and you can access read alouds from these QR codes.

High-Quality Digital Reading Content

Whether the content is digital or print, providing K-5 students with high-quality texts is of the utmost importance. But how do you ensure texts are quality? They should be age-appropriate and:

  • rely on standard grammar, vocabulary, and syntax
  • possess coherent, contextualized, accurate information
  • include longer, in-depth passages that support deep engagement and processing by the reader
  • employ precise vocabulary that is unambiguous and well-defined
  • use a direct communication style that does not rely as much on context, tone, and/or non-verbal cues

Print is superior for building comprehension and developing key literacy skills like phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary in younger readers. But, you can add digital reading tools that provide quality content to support fluency practice and comprehension. What digital reading tools have you tried? Which ones to you plan to use?

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Explore three tools to quickly and effectively differentiate and personalize literacy instruction for all readers.
AccessibilityArtificial IntelligenceELARESL/ELLReading

Three AI Tools for Literacy Instruction

by Holly Taylor
written by Holly Taylor

In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, using artificial intelligence (AI) tools holds great promise for transforming classrooms. As educators, we find ourselves at the forefront of this exciting shift. Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking empowers students to access information, express their thoughts, and engage with the world. However, the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to literacy often falls short of meeting the diverse needs of our students. Enter AI, a tool that can help teachers differentiate learning experiences, identify learning gaps, and provide targeted support to students.

Will AI Replace Educators?

Before exploring AI tools that have the potential to revolutionize literacy classrooms, it is important to highlight one of the major concerns surrounding AI: the idea that it may eliminate the need for teachers in the future. The fear of AI replacing teachers entirely is a valid concern, but AI must be viewed as a valuable ally instead of a substitute. The need for human touch in designing and developing quality lessons can not be underscored. As we delve into the capabilities of various AI tools, we must keep our pedagogical practices at the forefront. Now, let’s look at three AI tools you can use to boost literacy.

1. Magic School AI

With over 60 AI generators featured on their website, MagicSchool has the capability of transforming classrooms and saving teachers time in the process. As literacy teachers, it is crucial to provide students with engaging and grade-appropriate texts. However, finding relevant materials can be a challenge. That’s where MagicSchool’s “Informational Text” generator comes in handy.

MagicSchool AI's Informational Texts Generator offers literacy teachers a quick way to accommodate learners' needs when it comes to reading.
Screenshot by Holly Taylor | MagicSchool | Informational Texts Generator

Imagine this: You’re teaching a unit during Women’s History Month, and you want your 5th grade students to learn about the remarkable Maya Angelou. Instead of spending hours searching for suitable texts, you can simply use the Informational Texts Generator. It can instantly create a grade-level appropriate text about this influential writer and activist. Now, your students can dive into Maya Angelou’s inspiring journey without spending hours creating, adapting, or searching for a supplemental resource. 

2. Diffit

Diffit provides literacy teachers with a way to differentiate texts by changing the reading levels.
Screenshot by Holly Taylor | Diffit | “Get Resources” Page

As educators, we’re always seeking ways to meet the diverse needs of our students. Diffit is an AI tool designed specifically for creating leveled activities. Imagine being a 4th grade teacher who wants to differentiate an article about Lewis and Clark. You need to make it accessible for struggling readers or ESL students. With Diffit, you can level up or down any article to match the needs of your students. The Lewis and Clark article can be uploaded directly to the Diffit platform and adjusted to a 3rd-grade level. Now, struggling readers can engage with the content effectively.

Diffit doesn’t stop at adjusting the text. It goes the extra mile by generating a vocabulary list, multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, and more. These resources empower literacy teachers to seamlessly differentiate instruction based on individual student needs. Using Diffit, teachers can ensure that all students can access the same text at a level that suits them. Whether a struggling reader or an advanced learner, everyone benefits from personalized content.

3. Twee

Screenshot by Emily Horn | Twee | Tools Page

In the context of K-12 education, AI tools like Twee offer exciting possibilities for enhancing literacy instruction. One of Twee’s standout features is its dialogue-based “Create a dialogue on any topic” tool. With Twee, you can input any subject, generating an original conversation between characters or historical figures. For instance, I used this tool to create a dialogue centered around Lewis and Clark, the famous explorers. Here’s an example of the conversation that was generated:  

Lewis:  Hey, Clark. Are you awake? Thought I’d check out the map one last time before we hit the trail.

Clark: Yeah, just sittin’ here boiling up our coffee water and trying to get warm in front of this fire. Brrr…it’s colder than yesterday!

Lewis: Looks like we’re gonna have another tough day sloggin’ through these hills again with all that underbrush slowing us down. During breakfast I may break open a pouch containing ten grains of dried peas which has been sweetened with molasses. What do you think?

Clark: Sounds yummy. What about dinner?

Students can read this dialogue in groups or even transform it into a Readers’ Theater script for an interactive experience. By exploring dialogues generated by Twee, students gain insights into historical context and character perspectives. It’s a powerful way to foster critical thinking and make learning come alive.

In our literacy classrooms, integrating AI with the educator’s touch holds great promise. As we explore AI tools like MagicSchool, Diffit, and Twee, we unlock pathways to enriching student learning experiences with AI as a trusted co-pilot. From leveling articles to generating dialogues, these tools save time and enhance our teaching. They’re not here to replace us but can amplify our impact. Take what’s generated, personalize, adapt, and tailor it to your students’ needs. Or use it as a springboard for discussions, projects, or collaborative activities. Let your imagination soar and weave your unique touch into your students’ learning experiences.

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6-8 ELAR TEKS and Free, Editable Spreadsheets
ELAREnglish Language ArtsReadingTEKS

The Middle School ELAR TEKS and Free, Editable Spreadsheets

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

We’re back with more editable TEKS! I’m working my way through the K-12 content areas, and if there’s a set of TEKS you’d like to see published, send me an email at ehorn@tcea.org or leave a comment, and I’ll add them to my running list. Today, we’ll be exploring the Middle School ELAR TEKS. Who’s with me? Anybody? Bueller? Let’s go!

What Are the TEKS?

In short, the TEKS are the curricular standards adopted by the Texas State Board of Education. These standards outline what students should know and be able to do in each content area for each grade level. State-mandated tests are aligned with these standards to measure student achievement and skills acquisition.

About the Middle School ELAR TEKS

The current Middle School ELAR TEKS were adopted in 2017 and amended to be effective in 2019. The introduction for the 6-8 grade ELAR TEKS is almost identical to its K-5 counterpart. Let’s take a look at how middle school knowledge and skills build upon the foundation of the K-5 ELAR TEKS.

  1. Like the K-5 ELAR TEKS, grades 6-8 focus on the four domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
  2. Additionally, the seven strands started within the K-5 TEKS continue through grades 6-8:
    • Strand 1: Developing and sustaining foundational language
    • Strand 2: Comprehension
    • Strand 3: Response
    • Strand 4: Multiple texts
    • Strand 5: Author’s purpose and craft
    • Strand 6: Composition
    • Strand 7: Inquiry and research
  3. The focus on oral language (expression and comprehension) continues to weave through these grade 6-8 ELAR TEKS as a focal point for literacy as well as authentic reading and reflective writing.
  4. As in K-5, it is clearly stated within the 6-8 ELAR TEKS that each strand is of equal value, although some strands may require more instructional time than others. The strands can be presented in any order but they should be integrated throughout the instructional year.
  5. References to encoding and decoding have been removed from this intro, as would be expected.
  6. The goal remains for students to become “self-directed, critical learners who work collaboratively while continuously using metacognitive skills.”
  7. As in K-5, there should be daily opportunities for students to read, write, engage in academic discussions, and be read to.
  8. English Language Learners (ELLs) are expected to meet standards in a second language, and their language development affects their ability to demonstrate mastery of skills in English. Therefore, they should be provided scaffolding for text comprehension and linguistic accommodations to help ensure mastery.
  9. ELLs should also be encouraged to use their first language to help them develop and build English vocabulary. Making connections between a native language and English is important to English language development (affective, cognitive, and academic).
  10. Within the standards, “such as” is used to illustrate examples, whereas “including” alludes to content that must be mastered.

Helpful TEKS Documents

6-8 Grade ELAR TEKS Freebies from TCEA

Ready for some editable freebies? Snag spreadsheets for grades 6-8 ELAR below. Each spreadsheet contains one tab with the TEKS and a second tab with “I can” statements. I hope you find these useful and that they save you a little time somehow.

English Language Arts Free and Editable TEKS Spreadsheets
Grade 8 ELAR TEKS Spreadsheet
Click to make a copy of the Grade 6 ELAR TEKS and “I Can” Statement Spreadsheet
Click to make a copy of the Grade 7 ELAR TEKS and “I Can” Statement Spreadsheet
Click to make a copy of the Grade 8 ELAR TEKS and “I Can” Statement Spreadsheet

Additional STAAR and TEKS Articles You May Find Useful

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7 benefits of audiobooks for struggling readers.
ELAREnglish Language ArtsReading

Seven Ways Audiobooks Benefit Struggling Readers

by Chris Buecksler
written by Chris Buecksler

Technology is the great equalizer for students who have challenges accessing grade-level texts. Audiobooks are an “easy button” technology tool that can provide immediate access for students while optimizing teacher time and resources. 

Audiobooks Are Supports, Not Replacements

Teacher working with struggling reader in 1:1 reading instruction.

It’s important to note that audiobooks should not replace traditional reading instruction entirely. There is a time and a place for struggling readers to read within their decoding ability— when working on explicit skill building in a one-to-one or small group setting. All other times, when students need to read for grade-level assignments and participate in classwork or self-select titles for pleasure reading, they need access at their grade-level or cognitive level. That said, let’s look at eight ways audiobooks are beneficial when it comes to supporting reading interventions.

The Benefits of Audiobooks

1. Auditory Learning and Multisensory Approach

Some students are auditory learners, meaning they grasp information better when they hear it. Audiobooks allow struggling readers to access content through their sense of hearing, potentially improving comprehension and retention. Audiobooks provide a multisensory experience by combining auditory input with the visual aspect of following along with the text. This dual approach can reinforce understanding and help struggling readers make connections between spoken words and written text.

Struggling readers using audiobooks in the classroom to read the same text as their peers.

2. Access to Vocabulary

Listening to audiobooks, especially those with human narration, exposes struggling readers to correct pronunciation and varied vocabulary. This can enhance their language skills and contribute to a richer vocabulary, which is vital as the demand for higher-level word exposure increases as students age.

3. Increased Comprehension

Audiobooks can help struggling readers reduce their cognitive load. The student does not need to expend mental energy on the task of decoding so they can focus on comprehension. Learning through listening can enhance comprehension, as it allows listeners to focus on understanding the content without the added challenge of decoding written words.

4. Access to Grade-Level Material

Audiobooks enable struggling readers to access more complex and age-appropriate material than they might be able to read independently. This exposure to higher-level content can help them develop a deeper understanding of various subjects. Students can read the same books as their peers, allowing them to participate in class discussions with confidence.

5. Flexibility and Accessibility

Struggling reading listens to and reads and audiobook on the metro bus.

Audiobooks are flexible and can be listened to almost anywhere, allowing struggling readers to integrate reading into their daily routines. Additionally, audiobooks are accessible to individuals with print disabilities, such as dyslexia, making reading more inclusive. Students can download books onto their personal, online bookshelf, which can be accessed with or without internet access at school and at home 24/7. For example, the Learning Ally Audiobook SolutionTM is compatible with PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS devices.

6. Independence

Audiobooks provide struggling readers with the opportunity to engage with literature independently. This independence can boost their confidence and motivate them to explore a wider range of texts.

7. Encouragement and Enjoyment

Audiobooks can make the reading experience more enjoyable for struggling readers. The engaging narrators, sound effects, and overall production can capture their interest, fostering a positive attitude toward reading.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution can remove the barriers to reading, permitting your students to read and learn along with their peers. Audiobooks provide a quick win for you in terms of improving your students’ reading and literacy skills. 

Now, through an exclusive partnership with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), any public school in Texas can bring the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution to their students at no cost! Take advantage of the TEA funding and get started with audiobooks at no out-of-pocket cost to your school or district. Get started today!

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Digital reading room
iOS Tips and TricksReading

Online Reading Programs and Digital Apps

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for some ways to supplement your reading interventions? Here are a few AI-recommended solutions with reflections about each one. We’ll explore 21 supplemental online reading programs and a list of 6 iOS apps, including reading titles and content. Ready to dive in?

Five Reading Strategies

Before we look at the online programs and apps, let’s take a moment to revisit my top five favorite high-effect size instructional strategies. What I like about these strategies is that students can learn to use them independently while reading. So, once students have learned them, they can apply them when using supplemental reading materials.

A list of high yield strategies in an infographic with links to more information for each.
Infographic created by the author | Edit or download the infographic.

Now that you have some strategies, consider these sources of digital reading material and online reading programs.

What AI Was Used?

We prompted several AI tools, including ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Perplexity, and POE. Perplexity and POE offered more varied responses than ChatGPT and Claude, but less in total. While ChatGPT and Claude didn’t provide links, Perplexity and POE did.

THE PROMPT:
What online reading programs can be used as supplemental intervention for struggling readers that are inexpensive or available at no-cost?

-TCEA Staff

21 Online Reading Programs

Here are the responses in alphabetical order. Items with an asterisk appeared on lists from multiple AI. The summaries of each online program were provided by the AI generating them. For a few, I wrote the summary or tweaked the one provided.

  1. ABCmouse: While ABCmouse is a subscription-based program, it often offers free trials. It covers a wide range of subjects, including reading, and is suitable for early learners.
  2. BeReading’s Free Reading Program: The Free Reading Program, initiated by Be Reading, is a K-6 reading, language, and grammar program that provides over 3,500 activities to improve reading comprehension, language, grammar, and spelling skills. It is available at no cost, promoted through various local organizations, and used internationally in schools.
  3. Book Adventure: This interactive and educational online platform is designed to encourage and motivate young readers to develop their reading skills while having fun.
  4. Bookshare: Bookshare is a free program for students with disabilities that affect their ability to read. It provides access to a vast collection of accessible eBooks.
  5. CommonLit: This resource features an extensive collection of reading passages and question sets for data tracking. It’s entirely free to teachers and students.
  6. Epic!: Epic! is a digital library for kids aged 12 and under. It offers a 30-day free trial, and after that, it’s available at a monthly subscription fee. Epic! provides access to thousands of books, audiobooks, and educational videos.
  7. International Children’s Digital Library: This digital library curates children’s books in different languages for free online reading.
  8. LibriVox: Volunteers read books from the public domain aloud and upload audio recordings. All books and resources are free.
  9. Newsela*: Newsela provides news articles at different reading levels, allowing students to choose texts that match their abilities. It offers a free basic version with limited access to articles. But it can be a valuable resource for improving reading comprehension.
  10. PBS Kids: PBS Kids offers a range of educational games, videos, and activities, including reading games and interactive storybooks. The content is aligned with educational standards and is designed to support early literacy development.
  11. Prodigy English: Prodigy English offers a brand-new adventure that introduces kids to a world filled with adventures, wishes, and more ways to practice reading and language skills. It is available for free.
  12. Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg offers over 60,000 free eBooks, including many classic literary works. While it may not have the interactive features of other programs, it’s a valuable resource for accessing a wide range of reading materials.
  13. Raz-Kids*: While Raz-Kids requires a subscription, it often offers free trials. It provides hundreds of eBooks at 29 different levels of reading difficulty.
  14. Reading Eggs: This structured online reading program uses visual accompaniments and self-paced lessons to motivate struggling readers and improve their skills.
  15. Reading Rockets*: Reading Rockets offers a collection of free reading resources, strategies, and activities to help struggling readers. It provides valuable tips for teachers, parents, and tutors.
  16. ReadTheory: ReadTheory is a free online reading comprehension program that provides personalized reading practice for students. It adapts to the student’s skill level and offers passages and questions at an appropriate difficulty level to help improve reading comprehension skills.
  17. ReadWorks: ReadWorks offers a wide range of reading comprehension lessons and resources for students of all ages. It’s a free platform that provides high-quality texts and questions to improve reading skills.
  18. Starfall*: Starfall is a free public service that helps young readers learn to read and write with phonics. It’s designed for pre-K through third grade students and offers interactive activities and games.
  19. Storyline Online: Actors read popular children’s books alongside illustrations in videos on Storyline Online with free video streaming.
  20. Teach Your Monster to Read: This website offers a series of engaging and interactive games that help children learn to read. It covers phonics, sight words, and other essential reading skills. The desktop version is free, and there is a paid app version for mobile devices.
  21. Vooks: Vooks is an entire library of storybooks brought to life with beautiful animation, read-aloud narration, engaging music and sound, and read-along text.

You will want to visit each online reading program and decide the best use of these tools for your students.

iOS Reading Apps Available for Free

A fun follow-up question to AI is, “What iOS reading apps can be used as a supplemental intervention for struggling readers at no cost?” ChatGPT offered the following responses:

  1. ABCmouse. While ABCmouse requires a subscription, it does offer a limited number of free activities and books. It covers a wide range of subjects, including reading and literacy.
  2. Epic! – Kids’ Books and Videos. Epic! offers a vast library of digital books, audiobooks, and educational videos for kids. It includes a Read-to-Me feature that can assist struggling readers.
  3. Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books. Novel Effect offers books that you can read out loud. It includes book activity plans that you can export to PDF.
  4. Raz-Kids. Raz-Kids provides hundreds of eBooks at 29 different levels of reading difficulty. It offers interactive quizzes and recordings to support reading comprehension.
  5. Sight Words Reading Games ABC. This is a reading program for young children aged 2-7. The program aims to prepare children for kindergarten and school. [*Updated entry. See note below for previous entry]
  6. Starfall Learn to Read. Starfall’s Learn to Read app is designed for early readers. Through interactive stories and activities, it offers a systematic approach to phonics and phonemic awareness.

*Note: This item removed from the list per the update in the comments: Sight Words Learning Games & Reading Flashcards: This app focuses on teaching sight words, which are essential for early reading. It includes games and flashcards to make learning engaging.

With these online reading programs, reading apps, and reading strategies in your back pocket, you’re sure to supplement reading interventions and encourage students to read. The most important reading is self-directed reading, which promotes autonomy, independence, and engages students’ minds. Which program or app will you try first?

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Title "20+ Science Books for Girls" on top of various book covers.
ReadingScienceScience

20+ Science Books for Middle and High School Girls

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for science books for your daughter? Want to encourage critical thinking and thinking like a scientist? If so, let’s look at some recommendations from middle school science teachers. I’ll also add a few of my own selections from what I read with my daughter and, looking back, what I might add to the list.

What Is Critical Thinking?

One of my favorite authors is Louis L’Amour. He says in my favorite book of his, The Walking Drum:

“You are your own best teacher. My advice is to question all things. Seek for answers, and when you find what seems to be an answer, question that, too.”

Critical thinking is quite important, and this isn’t a bad way to think of it. Critical thinking is…

  • a set of skills and habits of mind,
  • a way to define a problem, identify assumptions, and analyze ideas
  • also an approach to reasoning in a critical manner
  • listing different possible causes
  • creating plausible solutions
  • evaluating the correctness of each using logical reasoning.
  • the ability to make creative connections between ideas from different disciplines (source)

Here is a great explanation of how to think like a scientist:

Kindling a Love of Reading

“Open a book, and you’ll never know where you end up.” It paraphrases a quote I read poring through Louis L’Amour’s Western stories. I’d stop at the library and pick up a “two-week” bag of books. In a few days, I’d return them all, finished. Every library I walked into was my church, every bookshelf, a pew. To pass on my love of reading, I would read to my daughter when she was younger. Years have passed, and we’re now both avid readers. Reading with your child is one of the best ways to grow a love of reading! My favorites to read to her at the time were a series of Did You Know? children’s books. Today, you can find a wide variety of Did You Know? science books online. Here are a few to explore:

Books that Use Science to Solve Problems

Introduce your daughter to Halley Harper, Science Girl Extraordinaire series of books. These five books feature a nine year old girl who uses science to solve problems. Topics range from the Laws of Motion to chemistry, fossils, nature, and outer space.

Science Books for Girls

Let’s look at 20+ nonfiction books to explore on the chemistry and physics shelf. These are primarily for middle and high schoolers. Explore them in more depth using the links provided.

  1. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
  2. Bomb (Graphic Novel): The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin and Nick Bertozzi
  3. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
  4. Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors by Susanne Foitzik (Author), Olaf Fritsche (Author), Ayça Türkoglu (Translator)
  5. Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby
  6. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
  7. Lab Girl Hope Jahren
  8. Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science’s First Family by Shelley Emling
  9. Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer
  10. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
  11. Science Comic series of 28 books by Maris Wicks, MK Reed, and many others
  12. “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman
  13. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
  14. The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dave Sobel
  15. The Jazz of Physics by Stephon Alexander
  16. The Violinists Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
  17. What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke
  18. What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science by Robert L. Wolke
  19. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
  20. Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell
  21. The Science of Science: A Guide to Thinking Like a Scientist by Crystal C. Li
  22. Think for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Information Overload and Misinformation by Andrea Debbink (author) and Aaron Meshon (illustrator)
  23. How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer (author), Felicia Bond (illustrator)

Want more titles? Check out this curated list of STEM novels. Additionally, there are many fiction titles worth exploring that will pique interest. One of my favorites, for example, is Reynolds and Reynolds’ Going Places. You can get a taste for the spirit of the book in the video below:

So, what will you start with? I hope you’ve found some science book selections from the list that have piqued your interest and sparked some inspiration. Do you have other books to add? Let us know your favorites in the comments.

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4 Reading Comprehension Strategies of CSR: Preview, Click & Clunk, Get the Gist, and Wrap up. Adaptable for any grade level.
Common Core State StandardsContent AreasELAREnglish Language ArtsHistoryReadingScienceScienceSocial StudiesSocial StudiesTEKS

The Four Reading Comprehension Strategies of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR)

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

What is CSR?

CSR is a cooperative learning approach that can be used in any grade level and with students of varied reading levels and abilities. It’s meant to primarily boost reading comprehension when it comes to expository and nonfiction texts, like for science and social studies. However, it can be used for narrative texts as well. CSR is an evidence-based approach where students work through the text together in small groups using four reading comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading:

  1. Preview (before reading)
  2. Click and Clunk (during reading)
  3. Get the Gist (during reading)
  4. Wrap It Up (after reading)
Explanations of 4 Reading Strategies of CSR from IRIS Center
Screenshot by the author: The Iris Center, Overview of the CSR Reading Strategies

Getting Started with CSR

It’s important to note that before students begin using the CSR process in a group, they will need to learn and practice the four strategies on their own. Using a Gradual Release of Responsibility approach, you can introduce each reading comprehension strategy in a separate mini-lesson, modeling it for the class. Then, students can practice the strategy with a partner or in a small group. Once they’ve got the strategy with guided support, they can begin to practice it on their own until they are ready to use the strategy cooperatively.

Materials Needed for CSR:

  • Learning Log: A graphic organizer where students make notes throughout the process.
  • Cue Cards: Prompts for the different roles in the groups to use.
  • Clunk Cards: Four “fix-up” strategies for students to use if they reach a roadblock.
  • Timer (optional)

Here are some great free CSR materials, complete with cue cards, clunk cards, and a learning log, available for download from IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University. Also, they provide role cards with explanations for each student’s role in the group.

IRIS Center Leader Cue Card for CSR tasks
Screenshot by the author: Example Leader Cue Cards from IRIS Center’s Free Materials for CSR

Student Roles:

Each group member is given a specific role, so all students in the group are responsible for a task. Potential student roles (depending on group sizes) are:

  • Leader
  • Gist Expert
  • Announcer
  • Timekeeper
  • Clunk Expert
  • Encourager
  • Reporter

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the four reading comprehension strategies that make up this approach!

The Four Reading Comprehension Strategies

1. Preview

Preview section of the CSR Learning Log
Example Preview section of the CSR Learning Log created by the author (provided at the end of the article).

During the text preview, students work together for a short period to look at important text features like headings, subheadings, bolded words, charts, graphs, images, etc. The purpose of the preview is to activate students’ prior knowledge and get them to ask questions, make predictions, and boost their curiosity on the topic. During this time, the teacher can walk around and ask each group about their observations, predictions, and questions regarding the text. Helpful prompts for students (that can be included in a learning log graphic organizer) might be:

  • What knowledge do you already have on this topic?
  • What do you expect or hope to learn?
  • What questions do you have on this topic?

IRIS Center suggests giving students 12 minutes for this reading comprehension strategy. Once they’ve shared with the group and completed the “Preview” section of the learning log, it’s time to share with the class.

2. Click and Clunk

CSR Clunks & Gists Strategy - Learning Log
Example Clunks and Gists section of the CSR Learning Log created by the author (provided at the end of the article).

During this part of CSR, students begin reading a section of the text and monitoring their comprehension. This means students are using metacognition (thinking about thinking) to check their understanding as they move through the text. “Clicks” are parts of the text that the readers understand. “Clunks” are aspects of the text that readers find to be roadblocks to understanding, like unknown words or concepts.

Monitoring comprehension builds confidence and independence when it comes to reading. Working on this in a group can push students who may not usually stop to explore “clunks” to do so, resulting in increased reading comprehension. After reading a pre-determined section (a paragraph, a few paragraphs, or a page, for example), the students go over clicks and clunks. After identifying the “clunks”, the Clunk Expert can guide the group in the following reading comprehension strategies:

  • Reread the sentence with the clunk and look for key ideas to help you figure out the word. Think about what makes sense.
  • Reread the sentences before and after the clunk, looking for clues.
  • Look for a prefix, root word, or suffix that might help.
  • Break the word apart and look for smaller words that you know.
“Toward a Humanistic Instruction: Collaborative Strategic Reading Approach and EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension”

3. Get the Gist

After previewing the text, identifying clicks and clunks, and working through clunks, students begin to identify the main ideas of the predetermined sections of text together to demonstrate reading comprehension. This is a summarizing activity that gets students to restate what they read in their own words (IRIS Center suggests 10 or fewer words) without getting too detailed. CALIReads suggests students follow three steps:

  1. Name the who or the what.
  2. Tell the most important thing about the who or the what.
  3. Say it in about 10 words.

Get the Gist is a great retelling reading comprehension strategy that allows students to recall important information from the text and summarize it, which solidifies their learning.

4. Wrap Up

Wrap Up section of the CSR Learning Log
Example Wrap Up section of the CSR Learning Log created by the author (provided at the end of the article).

In this final step, students work with their group to come up with questions and correlating answers about the reading. They can think about “who, what, where, when, why, and how,” and they can speculate as to what questions a teacher might ask about the text. If needed, question stems can help prompt students to form deeper questions. After noting questions in their learning logs, they share them with their group and answer the questions together, writing down and reviewing what they learned.

CSR Learning Log Editable Template
Created by the author: Access the editable template.

This cooperative learning approach to content-based reading can boost comprehension of everything from textbook chapters to nonfiction articles and more. Can you picture using CSR in your classroom? If you introduce these strategies to your students, let us know how it goes! We’d love to hear about your results.

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Digital LiteracyReading

Going Beyond Digital Literacy: Fostering Readers as Learners

by Kristine Seale
written by Kristine Seale

Open your favorite website (maybe you are already on it!). What do you notice on the page? What percentage is text, pictures, videos, ads, or links? Chances are the sites you typically frequent do not feature endless pages of information. You are far more likely to encounter sites that rely heavily on visuals, audio, and graphics to convey information. Maryanne Wolf, author and brain researcher, says, “young readers have to develop a bi-literate brain – learning the needed skills and dispositions for paper and digital reading in tandem – much in the way children who are raised to speak two languages develop their skills.” So what kind of skills do students need to develop good reading behaviors across print and digital media? Let’s explore how we can foster readers as learners.

Why Is Digital Literacy Important?

In today’s digital society, information has become more widespread and easily accessible, which means our students have more knowledge at their fingertips than any other generation in history. Consequently, educators must shift into the role of “facilitator” to empower students to take ownership of their own development as readers and learners. Literacy in our digital world means students must learn to evaluate ALL the information they encounter to make sense of the world. Fostering readers as learners means ensuring students understand that reading skills are life skills. As educators, we must leverage resources so students develop the ability to learn whatever they want to learn in a variety of digital and print formats and platforms.

How to Promote Literacy Success Across the Board

However, fostering readers will not happen if educators never help students make connections beyond a short block of reading time. Let’s take a look at several ways we can help students develop and hone the thinking skills they need to be successful across all settings, platforms, and genres. 

1. Leverage the Gradual Release of Responsibility framework for the development of cognitive strategies that support all learners.

Colorful graphic explaining the process of building student independence through gradual release of responsibility.

The Gradual Release of Responsibility model works well to support building thinking skills in students no matter the format of the information. It helps move them toward independence, both when teaching strategies and teaching content. Our interactions with students change because the explicit teaching point will be different the first time you teach a skill compared to the third or fourth. As our students take on more of the responsibility of using the skills and strategies, they are also able to take on a higher level of thinking work.

When this model is employed effectively, all students, even those who may be otherwise missing background knowledge, are able to build and draw upon the necessary schema to make learning possible. This, in turn, facilitates the development of deeper cognitive thinking. Students who are comfortable using cognitive strategies are more flexible, strategic, and productive in their learning processes because they are learning how to think critically. They are doing more than learning material; they are learning HOW to learn. 

Pink and yellow graphic outlining three cognitive strategies to promote literacy and deep learning.

2. Leverage blended learning to support small group literacy instruction and conferring.

The less time we spend talking, the more time we have to work with students. Blended learning bridges the gap and helps keep all students focused, even when they aren’t with you. The station rotation model, in particular, works well at the elementary level to allow the teacher to differentiate based on diverse student needs. This includes choosing a form of Personalized Learning that fits, when appropriate. We want to stick closely to our literacy instructional strategies that work and use them to leverage the time we have effectively and efficiently. 

Colorful graphic with ideas for literacy station rotations that are offline, collaborative, online, and lead by the teacher.

3. Explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies to promote the transfer of literacy skills.

The goal is for comprehension strategies to become internalized and automatic, naturally occurring to synthesize information without the conscious thought of the reader. We also have to teach that these literacy skills transfer across subjects, genres, and platforms. The skills that you use to understand how a character is feeling are the same skills you might use to understand the motivations of important people throughout history. This is true if you read about them in texts or learn about them through other forms of multimedia. 

Circular graphic outlining goals, skills, and strategies for planning literacy skills.

In addition to this explicit instruction, it’s also vital to provide students with opportunities to respond to texts and other types of media and to choose response types and tools that work across the curriculum. Canva, Flip, Seesaw, and Book Creator are all examples of tools that can be taught once and then used in a variety of ways throughout the year for students to demonstrate evidence of their learning. They can be used with strategies like these: 

Five strategies to promote literacy and make learning visible.

4. Teach and model with a variety of media and text formats. 

In our world today, we have access to information on such a large scale. Not only do we have more information to evaluate, summarize, and synthesize; but we also have more ways that information is presented. Modeling and teaching with all the different types of media is crucial to student literacy and reading success. This includes honoring and acknowledging that formats like audiobooks, graphic novels, vlogs, and other less traditional media are all valid and respectable avenues for learning! 

In their book “Read the World,” Ziemke and Muhtaris include lessons that explicitly teach ways for students to “read” images, videos, graphics, and artifacts. But more importantly, we can’t just teach students how to do these things. We must model and continue to scaffold these strategies (both in print and digital) so students can transfer them into their everyday reading and thinking habits. 

What will learning look like tomorrow?

As we work to support our students in literacy and learning at high levels, we must continue to think about what learning will look like tomorrow. If students are taught not just how to read, but how to learn in our digital world, they will be empowered to reach whatever goals they choose to set for themselves. And they’ll have the skills needed to do so. When we marry our tried and true instructional practices that work with authentic opportunities and real-world connections that take learning outside of the instructional block, we can have an enormous impact on the capabilities of the students we teach every day. 

Come learn more from Kristine Seale at TCEA’s Convention & Exposition in Austin, Texas!

Join thousands of educators in networking, learning cutting-edge strategies, and collecting tools to propel better-than-ever learning outcomes. Kristine will be leading two sessions at TCEA 2024. Check them out!

Learn More about TCEA 2024

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AccessibilityReading

Four Easy Steps to Accessing No-Cost Audiobooks Through Learning Ally

by Chris Buecksler
written by Chris Buecksler

According to a recent article in The Dallas Morning News, Texas students’ reading scores have lagged behind the rest of the country. Without this foundational skill, students usually struggle to understand word problems in math, grapple with historical texts, and may fail to comprehend experiments in science. This reinforces what we all know to be true – reading is the foundational skill that drives performance in all subjects. Let’s look at one proven solution that can support struggling readers: audiobooks.

How Audiobooks Benefit Students 

One way many schools in Texas have found to unlock student potential is through the use of audiobooks. This proven tool removes barriers most struggling readers have and provides access to grade-level content with ease. As students progress through school, they move to deep learning and reading. 

Hearing real people read builds oral fluency and cuts down reading time, while students improve vocabulary and comprehension. Students have the satisfaction of reading independently, which increases their self-esteem, and success in school.

What Is the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution?

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multi-modal reading resource for all instructional settings. Composed of human-read audiobooks, student-centric features, and a suite of teacher resources, it’s designed to help students with reading deficits become more engaged learners and achieve their academic potential. Because of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) funding for K-12 public and charter schools, every educator in the state can support their struggling readers with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution at no out-of-pocket cost to their school or district.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is easy to implement. Texas educators can get started in four easy steps:

  1. Enroll your school
  2. Set up the portal
  3. Launch audiobooks for students
  4. Monitor progress and personalize instruction

Step 1: Enroll Your School

Leveling the playing field for your struggling readers starts by enrolling your school using this form. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. School districts are required to submit one application for each individual school. You will receive an email from Learning Ally with your temporary passwords once the application is processed.

Step 2: Set Up the Portal

Once your school is enrolled, you can access the platform and begin set up. Start by determining which students are eligible. The audiobook solution is designed for students with a reading deficit who struggle with decoding, fluency and/or comprehension. Any educator (or other professional) who has experience observing students with a reading deficit, blindness or visual impairment, or physical disability can make the determination of eligibility.

Then you can determine the best way to create, update, and log in your educators and students to the Audiobook Solution. Learning Ally integrates with many single-sign on providers, including Clever, ClassLink and others to help you quickly and efficiently assign users.

Step 3: Launch Audiobooks for Students

Once students are added to the system, you can begin to add books to their bookshelf and have them start to read through the Learning Ally Audiobook App. Students can access Learning Ally on any device at your school, so you should consider strategies by device depending on your school’s technology and load the reading app on all devices.

Next, add the books students need to read and allow them to add the books they want to read to their bookshelf. Learning Ally has over 80,000 human-read audiobooks including anchor texts aligned to your curriculum and popular books for independent reading. The library also includes textbooks, study aids and primary source documents. 

Many schools in Texas use audiobooks during independent reading time and incorporate audiobooks into lesson plans during whole-class instruction, small-group instruction and to support homework.

Step 4: Monitor Progress

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution features a reading progress indicator that helps students build strong reading habits as you monitor student reading data. This helps you understand reading targets and set goals for each student. Most students will show substantial improvements after reading 33 days (approximately 20 minutes per day) within a school year. 

Using the educator portal dashboard, you can easily view students reading, pages and minutes read, books completed and more. You can also export this data to share and customize for your school’s needs. You can also review these reports with students and parents/guardians for stronger engagement and motivation.

Getting Started with Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution

By following these four easy steps, you can help striving readers, from grade school to high school, access grade-level content with ease. By removing the barriers to reading, your students will be able to read and learn along with their peers. Audiobooks provide a quick win for you in terms of improving the reading and literacy skills of your students. Take advantage of the TEA funding and get started with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution at no out-of-pocket cost to your school or district. Get started today!

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Three students looking at different graphs.
MathMathematicsReadingScienceScience

Resources for Teaching Graph Making and Analysis Skills

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

How can you better develop graph and chart analytical skills with your students? One way is to have them explore and analyze graphs, then discuss what they have learned and think. Another is to create graphs. Let’s take a look at some ways you can do that.

Check out this Google Slides deck of Graphs, Correlation, and Causation. It can assist in teaching about how graphs and statistics can be used to mislead, an appropriate lesson for secondary students.

How to Teach What Graphs Mean

See the quote below for a common problem in classrooms. As a student, this quote reflects my experience with graph skills. And, from a teacher’s perspective, this is spot-on:

Last year, students frustrated me. They could graph lines and do the math. But, they didn’t understand what the graphs and equations meant.

I saw this when they couldn’t tell if answers were reasonable. They also couldn’t explain the graphs beyond the basics.

I knew I needed to get them thinking deeper about what the graphs show. That way the numbers would mean more. I wanted complex problems for them to spend more time on, doing more with fewer problems. (adapted for readability from source: Rachel at Idea Galaxy)

So, how do you teach graph skills? What graphs mean? What they represent? My answer? Focus on having students create graphs based on data they collect. Let’s take a look at some alternate approaches for analyzing graphs. Then, we will explore some digital tools for making graphs.

Teaching Students Graph Analysis Skills

There are many ways to analyze graphs that follow an approach like the one below:

  • Read the title and make predictions about the graph.
  • Read the axes and the labels and ask, “How are these related?”
  • What is the relationship in the data and how does the data change?
  • What units of measurements did the designer use?
  • Study the data values to understand how big the differences shown are

Often, graph design is poor, and this affects students’ graph analysis skills. You have to work extra hard to ask questions that engage your mind. For some students, nothing pops into their mind when they look at a graph or chart, which makes teaching graph analysis and design important for critical thinking.

Guiding Questions for Graph Analysis Skills

Finally, I always dig into my back pocket for some questions. Here are a few that pop into my mind when I’m looking at a graph for the first time. They might be helpful when teaching students graph skills.

  • What kind of graph is being used to represent data?
  • Is that graph type the right one for the data? Why or why not?
  • What colors did the graph designer use and do they mean anything?
  • Why was this data chosen to present? What makes it special?
  • What are some reasons for the differences in the data?
  • What do I need to learn or understand better to see how and why this graph is important?
  • How do I know this data is valid and reliable?
  • What’s the proof or evidence?
  • What is meant by this data?
  • What does it symbolize?
  • What does it mean for me? For others?

It never hurts to equip students with questions they can ask. Building a habit of graph analysis and design is the next step.

Resources for Analyzing Graphs and Charts

Here are some resources that provide background knowledge for graph and chart analysis:

Tools for Making Graphs

Making graphs is one of my favorite ways to get students thinking and analyzing. I have a round up of five simple graphing tools you can explore, but here are two of my favorite graphing tools to teach graph making skills.

1. Kids’ Zone Create a Graph

NCES Kid's Zone Create a Graph activity page
Screenshot by the author: National Center for Education Statistics Kids’ Zone Create a Graph

This is one of my all time favorite graph creation tools. It’s easy to use via the web and works great on Chromebooks. It’s not too complicated! I’ve used it with third grade and sixth grade students.

2. Imgflip’s Chart Maker

Imgflip's Chart Maker page showing a pie chart being created.
Screenshot by the author: imgflip Chart Maker

This graph and chart-making tool is drop-dead easy. You can make pie, donut, or bar charts via your web browser. And you can change colors.

With those two powerful tools, you will have students designing graphs in no time. But wait, what kinds of graphs could you start with? What data sets could you use for teaching graph skills?

Additional Tools for Older Students:

Make Your Own Data Sets

Want to get students to graph data? Hands-on experiences and labs are one way to do that. You want students to recognize that graphable data surrounds them.

A student building a tower using marshmallows and wooden sticks.
Jason Kasper from Harrisburg, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Homeschooler with Project via Wikimedia Commons

Here are some quick data sets and activities from various sources that can get your started with teaching graph analysis skills:

Graphs for Students to Analyze

Graphs and charts surround us. Let’s take a look at several graphs and charts you can use in the classroom.

1. Turner’s Graph of the Week (GOW)

A graph of the week activity example from Turner's Graph of the Week site.
Screenshot by Emily Horn: Turner’s Graph of the Week, 8/21 Weekend Box Office Sales in U.S.

Kelly Turner’s Graph of the Week website wants to help students become “lifelong critical and analytical thinkers.” They also hope to achieve the following:

  • Improve academic literacy
  • Develop students engaged in civics through oral discourse
  • Link mathematics to real-world situations
  • Develop students’ Habits of Mind
  • Improve written communication
  • Give students current events awareness

You will find a very long list with a variety of graphs to analyze for the current school year and in the 2013-last school year’s archive. Don’t be afraid to make your own! This is a great resource for teaching and reviewing graph analysis skills.

2. Using Graphs for Writing to Learn

This particular collection (view-only link) is available as a Google Doc of instructions (make-a-copy link). Find it via MiddleWeb‘s blog. It offers specific suggestions, such as:

  • Give the title of the graph.
  • Describe the picture/shape of graph.
  • Summarize the information given in the graph.
  • Give statistics and results included in the graph.
  • State the source of the information.
  • Give your opinion of the results.
  • Explain how the information relates to you or the world around you

Students then review a series of graphs and charts. They follow the instructions included to write about it. Then, as an extension activity, they create an infographic of their data. Great way to put graph anaylsis and making skills into practice! You can get some more ideas about infographics from these TechNotes articles.

3. Next Graphs + Charts

Next.cc's home page showing 8 activities and a gallery available.
Screenshot by Emily Horn: Next Graphs + Charts Home Page

This website encourages students to become graph graphic designers. With that goal in mind, you will find seven activities to assist you with teaching students graph design skills. A short list of the activities appears below:

  • Activity 1 – collect charts and graphs
  • Activity 2 – parts of graphs and charts
  • Activity 3 – direct a pie chart
  • Activity 4 – build a bar chart
  • Activity 5 – area graphs
  • Activity 6 – point plots
  • Activity 7 – variables
  • Activity 8 – identify and interpret

At the end, students can take a short quiz about key concepts. This is a valuable resource that provides a lot of great ideas and suggestions. The information is bite-sized, so your students won’t be overwhelmed with information.

What’s more, you will find pages of information on topics including area, coding, diagramming, grids, temperature, and more.

4. Problem-Attic

Program-Attic's home page, explaining the purpose of the site and site features.
Screenshot by Emily Horn: Problem-Attic Home Page

Looking for incredible graphs aligned to curricular concepts? Explore Problem-Attic. You get access to a question bank with 280,000 questions, and it offers many more features. One feature I like is you can search for graphs, then export quizzes to your learning management system of choice (e.g. Schoology, Canvas, Google Forms Quiz, etc.). Or you can create a slideshow with instant feedback via QR code and website.

Learn more…

5. Tuva Labs Content Library

Tuva Labs home page showing a few graphic resources.
Screenshot by author: Tuva Labs Home Page

Tuva Labs offers a rich collection of graphs and content you can use in your science class for teaching analysis skills. Their searchable content library, which includes both free and premium offerings, has rich content resources.

Some graph relevant links include the following:

AI Graph Makers

Once you’ve had a chance to work with graph reading, analysis, and design, check out these AI tools. These AI graph makers can certainly help:

Give these a shot later on when students are comfortable with their skills reading and analyzing graphs.

If you’re wanting to get up to speed on better analysis of graphs before working with your students, here is a great video for you:

Now that you have a wealth of tools, remember, it’s about getting students to analyze the graph, ask tough questions about the data the graph is based on, and why it matters.

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